If you or someone you love is struggling with borderline personality disorder (BPD), you need up-to-date, accurate, and accessible information on the problems you’re facing and where you can turn for help. But where do you look? Much of the professional literature on BPD is too technical and confusing to be of much help. And searching the Internet for accurate information can be treacherous, with some sites providing useful information and others giving dangerous advice and misinformation. If you’re living with BPD, this compassionate book offers what you really need: an easy-to-follow road map to guide you through this disorder and its treatment.

This book provides answers to many of the questions you might have about BPD: What is BPD? How long does it last? What other problems co-occur with BPD? Overviews of what we currently know about BPD make up the first section of the book. Later chapters cover several common treatment approaches to BPD: DBT, mentalization-based treatment (MBT), and medication treatments. In the last sections of the book, you’ll learn a range of useful coping skills that can help you manage your emotions, deal with suicidal thoughts, and cope with some of the most distressing symptoms of BPD.

This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives.

Alexander L. Chapman's profile page

Kim L. Gratz's profile page

Perry D. Hoffman's profile page

• ABCT Self-Help Book Recommendation

Alexander L. Chapman, PhD, RPsych, is professor and coordinator of the clinical science area in the psychology department at Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada, as well as a registered psychologist and president of the DBT Centre of Vancouver. Chapman directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, where he studies the role of emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-harm, impulsivity, as well as other related issues. His research is currently funded by major grants from theCanadian Institutes of Health Research. Chapman has received the Young Investigator's Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder, the Canadian Psychological Association's Scientist Practitioner Early Career Award, and a Career Investigator award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. He has coauthored ten books, three of which received the 2012 Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' Self-Help Book Seal of Merit Award. Board-certified in cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) (Canadian Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (DBT(Reg TM)-Linehan Board of Certification), Chapman cofounded a large psychology practice, and regularly gives workshops and presentations to clinicians and community groups both nationally and internationally. He also has been practicing martial arts, Zen, and mindfulness meditation for many years, and enjoys cooking, hiking, skiing, and spending time with his wife and sons.

Kim L. Gratz, PhD, is professor and chair of the department of psychology at the University of Toledo, OH. Gratz directs the Personality and Emotion Research and Treatment laboratory, in which she conducts laboratory and treatment outcome research focused on the role of emotion dysregulation in the pathogenesis and treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), self-injury, and other risky behaviors. Gratz has received multiple awards for her research on personality disorders, including the Young Investigator's Award from the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD) in 2005, and the Mid-Career Investigator Award from the North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders in 2015. She has been continuously funded since 2003 (with continuous federal funding as principal investigator since 2008), and has authored more than 145 peer-reviewed publications and six books on BPD, self-injury, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Perry D. Hoffman, PhD, is president and cofounder of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA-BPD). Hoffman has several grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) with a focus on families. She has coordinated over sixty conferences on the disorder, and is codesigner of the twelve-week psychoeducation course, Family Connections(TM), available in seventeen countries. In 2011, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) awarded Hoffman the Excellence in Community Mental Health Award. To find out more, visit www.borderlinepersonalitydisorder.com.

The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide is exactly what its title suggests. Through the use of many rich clinical examples and exacting and intriguing metaphors, Chapman and Gratz take us through the diagnosis and probable causes of BPD, some of the myths about BPD, and possible explanations of the problems that often accompany BPD. They review both psychological and medication treatments and end up with very practical advice on how to deal with suicidal thoughts as well as with situations when control over one's emotions seems tenuous at best. Clearly written and easily read, this book truly is a practical everyday guide not only to surviving but to growing healthier while struggling with BPD.
—Kenneth R Silk, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of the Personality Disorders Program at the University of Michigan Medical School and Health System